Book excerpt: This book provides reference points for researcher, clinicians and edu cators for assessing obesity in different individuals and populations. It serves as a ready reference for selected measures of weight, nutri tion and dietary intake, activity and exercise, behavior, well-being, and disease risk relationships. It presents assessment tools, along wi th their applications and practical interpretations. Emphasis is given to the differences by age, gender, weight status and the many interre lated variables that contribute to the development and/or exacerbation of the obese state.